The Serial Interface

You can use the serial interface either as signal in-/output for controlling external devices (e.g. alarm bell and light using a relay), for transferring data via a modem or mobile phone, as a web terminal for controlling/monitoring machines or to retrieve data from one of the supported weather stations.

Note:

This feature is not available for Web and Basic models.

Selecting the Operating Mode

Select how you would like to use the serial interface in the Operating mode drop-down box:

Depending on the selected operation mode, additional parameters are displayed.

If the serial interface has been deactivated before, it will be available only after rebooting the camera.

The Data Operating Mode

In the Data operating mode, you can use the camera as web-based data terminal for controlling, monitoring and remotely maintaining machines or to control other devices via the enhanced signal in-/output.

Parameter

Description

Mode

Terminal and Logger Mode

The camera can be used for monitoring and controlling production machines, heating systems and other devices equipped with a serial interface.

Note:
The integrated web terminal is only activated after the camera has been rebooted.

I/O Mode

The three remaining pins are available as signal in-/output. Open the Signal State dialog if you would like to configure this option.

Auto Mode

The camera will switch modes depending on the action it is currently executing (e.g. update buffer, set signal output, etc.).

Speed

Select the data transfer speed supported by your modem.

Bits

Number of data bits per character.

Parity

Type of check for a transferred bit sequence:

N

No checks are performed.

E

The sequence is checked for an even number of single bits.

O

The sequence is checked for an odd number of single bits.

Stop Bits

Required number of stop bits

Flow-control

None

Flow control is deactivated.
If you are not sure which type of flow control your modem supports, do not change this setting. The factory default setting is Off.

crtscts

Hardware flow control

Note:

Xon/Xoff is currently not supported.

Echo

Certain devices do not repeat the string that has been sent. For this reason, this string cannot be displayed in the web terminal. Set the Echo parameter to On in order to display the strings sent.

End of Line

The end-of-line character varies between devices. Select the correct line end character(s) for the device used:

None

No line end character(s) are being added.

LF

Line feed

CR

Carriage return

LFCR

Line feed/carriage return

CRLF

Carriage return/line feed

Buffer Size

All incoming characters are stored in a buffer prior to being displayed in the web terminal. Set the buffer size (max. 100 kByte).

Timestamp

If you set this parameter to On every line is preceded by a timestamp.

The Modem Operating Mode

In the Modem operating mode, the camera can communicate with analog modems or GSM devices in order to establish data connections.

Note:

As modems and GSM devices strongly vary in their use of AT commands, it is recommended that you have the manufacturer's documentation ready when setting the following parameters.

Parameter

Description

Speed

Select the data transfer speed supported by your modem.

Flow-control

Off

Flow control is deactivated.
If you are not sure which type of flow control your modem supports, do not change this setting. The factory default setting is Off.

Null modem
A null modem is a special RS232 cable that has certain pins connected in a manner that a modem connection is simulated. In this cable, certain (at least the send and receive pins) or all pins are cross-connected.

Modem Mode

In

You can dial into the camera using the modem.

Out

The camera can dial out, e.g. for transferring images to the Internet.

In/Out

You can dial into the camera or the camera can dial out.

Note:

Only one channel is available so that dialing in and out does not work simultaneously.

Termination Reboot

If you set this parameter to On, the camera will reboot every time after it has dialed out. This means that the internal image storage is deleted and local network connections are interrupted.

Note:

It is recommended to use this setting only if the camera does not send images frequently.

Dial Timeout

The maximum time the camera should wait for a connection to be established.

Modem Init out

Enter the AT commands that your modem needs for initializing an outgoing call. Precede each quote character by a backslash (\").

Modem Init in

Enter the AT commands that your modem needs for initializing an incoming call. Precede each quote character by a backslash (\").

Modem disconnect

Enter the AT commands that your modem needs for terminating a call. Precede each quote character by a backslash (\").

Phone number

Enter the telephone number that you want the modem to use for dialing out.

Dial Mode

Tone

The selected numbers are transferred as tones. This is the factory default setting.

Pulse

The selected numbers are transferred as pulses. This is an old-fashioned method.

No

The dialing method preset by the manufacturer is used.

IP Address Camera

The IP address used by the camera. If you do not enter an IP address, the factory default IP address is used.

IP Address Peer

The IP address that is assigned to the device dialing in. If you do not enter an IP address, the factory-preset IP address (172.16.23.202) is used.

IP Address Outgoing Gateway

When having dialed out successfully, the called device transmits the IP address of the gateway. The IP address entered here must not be identical to either the camera's IP address or a local address. If you do not enter an IP address, the factory-preset IP address (172.16.23.202) is used.

Authentication

Select the authentication protocol of your choice to be used when establishing a connection. Other than PAP, CHAP encodes the user name and password prior to transfer. The factory default setting is PAP.

Note:

Both parties need to use the same protocol.

Camera Login

User name and password used to dial into the camera. Enter the password twice.

Remote Login

User name and password used by the camera for dialing out. Enter the password twice.

Idle Time

If no data traffic is recognized for the period of time set here, the camera terminates the connection.

Echo Interval

Period of time after which the camera checks whether the connection has been interrupted.
Recommended value: 10 seconds.

Echo Fails

Number of retries checking for interruptions. The connection is terminated when the selected value has been reached.

PIN

PIN code for using the GSM card. If no PIN is necessary, leave this box empty.

Warning:

Entering an invalid PIN may result in a locked GSM card!

PIN delay

Period of time that the camera waits after the PIN has been entered.
Recommended value: 15 seconds.

The Weather Operating Mode

When operating in Weather mode, the MOBOTIX camera can poll the data from a weather station and it can display and archive the data.

Flow control is deactivated.
If you are not sure which type of flow control your weather station supports, do not change this setting. The factory default setting is Off.

CRTSCTS

The camera uses the hardware flow control of the attached device.

Note:

Xon/Xoff (software flow control) is currently not supported.

Text

Enter the text to be displayed in the camera image. Enter the corresponding weather variables to display the data from the weather station. In order to display the text in the image, make sure that either the ^S# or the ^s#comment variable has been set in the Text & Display Settings dialog.

Information on positioning the weather variables is contained in the Weather Variables section in this help page.

Refresh Interval

The camera actively polls new data from the weather station at the interval set in this parameter. Set this parameter to Off if the weather station sends its data automatically.

Raw Data Log

The camera can record the data from the weather station and can archive the data on an FTP server. Select how many records the camera should archive. Selecting 1 will archive every record, Off deactivates this feature.

Raw Data Log Size

Set the number of records to collect before uploading the file to the server defined in the FTP profile.

Timestamp

The camera can add a time stamp to every data record of the weather station. This allows having precisely timed data even if the weather station itself is not capable of adding timestamps to the data records.

Off

The camera does not add timestamps.

on

The camera adds a timestamp to every record it records.

FTP Profile

Select the FTP profile that should be used for transferring the weather data to an FTP server.

FTP Directory

The camera will upload the raw data log file into this directory on the server specified in the FTP profile.

Weather Variables

The Text field of the Text & Display Settings dialog should also be used to set the vertical position of the data in the image (e.g. by using the ^gx,y; placeholder):^g0,3;^S2 shows the weather station's data left-aligned, starting in the third row from the top on two lines with white text color and the default background color (the data from the serial interface is always left-aligned).

Note:

Unlike the other variables, the weather variables cannot be used in other dialog boxes (E-Mail Profiles, FTP Profiles, etc.).

Wind speed in meters per second (ms), kilometers per second (km), sea miles per hour (knots) or (land) miles per hour (mph).

X(WG)

X

$(meteo.avgwindspeed.ms)

$(meteo.avgwindspeed.kmh)

$(meteo.avgwindspeed.knots)

$(meteo.avgwindspeed.mph)

Average wind speed of the current measurement interval in meters per second (ms), kilometers per second (km), sea miles per hour (knots) or (land) miles per hour (mph).

X(WD)

X

$(meteo.windpeak.ms)

$(meteo.windpeak.kmh)

$(meteo.windpeak.knots)

$(meteo.windpeak.mph)

Highest wind speed of the current measurement interval in meters per second (ms), kilometers per second (km), sea miles per hour (knots) or (land) miles per hour (mph).

X(WS)

-

$(meteo.winddir.grad)

$(meteo.winddir.de)

$(meteo.winddir.en)

Wind direction in degrees (grad). Usually with North = 0 degrees, increasing in clockwise direction or in eight steps when using German (de: N,NO,O,SO,S,SW,W,NW) or English (en: N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W,NW) abbreviations.

X(WR)

X

$(meteo.avgwinddir.grad)

$(meteo.avgwinddir.de)

$(meteo.avgwinddir.en)

Average wind direction in the current measurement interval in degrees (grad). Usually with North = 0 degrees, increasing in clockwise direction or in eight steps when using German (de: N,NO,O,SO,S,SW,W,NW) or English (en: N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W,NW) abbreviations.

X(WD)

X

$(meteo.rainrate.mmh)

$(meteo.rainrate.inh)

Current precipitation in millimeters per hour (mmh) or inches per hour (inh).

-

X

$(meteo.rainday.mm)

$(meteo.rainday.in)

Precipitation of the current day in millimeters (mm) or inches (in).

X(RE)

X

$(meteo.rainmonth.mm)

$(meteo.rainmonth.in)

Precipitation of the current month in millimeters (mm) or inches (in).

-

X

$(meteo.rainyear.mm)

$(meteo.rainyear.in)

Precipitation of the current year in millimeters (mm) or inches (in).

-

X

$(meteo.rainfree.mm)

$(meteo.rainfree.in)

Precipitation variable for rain values of a different interval.

X(RD)

-

$(meteo.solar)

Sun shine in watts per square meter.

X(SO)

X

$(meteo.uvidx)

Index value of ultra-violet radiation.

-

X

$(meteo.sunrise.24h)

$(meteo.sunrise.12h)

$(meteo.sunrise.ampm)

Time of sunrise in 24-hour format (24h), 12-hour format (12h) or 12-hour format with added am and pm indicators (ampm).

-

X

$(meteo.sunset.24h)

$(meteo.sunset.12h)

$(meteo.sunset.ampm)

Time of sunset in 24-hour format (24h), 12-hour format (12h) or 12-hour format with added am and pm indicators (ampm).